Epiphany 5, 2025 – Views from the Pews – Sunday, February 9, 2025

Dear People of God

I share with you a reflection on the Gospel reading for today by Fr. Martin Hogan

Today’s gospel reading suggests that Peter heard the call of Jesus in the midst of his daily occupations, as he went about his work as a fisherman. Jesus seems to enter into Peter’s experience of being a fisherman, even offering advice on where to cast the net after Peter and his companions had laboured to no avail all night.

Fishermen would not usually appreciate advice on how to fish from the son of a carpenter. Yet, in the gospel reading Peter does what Jesus suggested; he had perhaps come to appreciate that the word of this man from Nazareth had a power and authority that was special. Peter’s saying ‘yes’ to that particular call of Jesus was the prelude to his saying ‘yes’ to the bigger call of Jesus that was to follow, ‘from now on it is people you will catch’.

We all hear the Lord’s call in the context of our day to day lives. The Lord calls out to us in and through the ordinary, daily tasks and occupations of our lives. Peter heard the Lord’s call in the context of failure, professional failure in his inability to catch fish, and personal failure as he became aware of himself as a sinner in the Lord’s presence. Peter’s failure was not an obstacle to the Lord calling him. It is the same for each one of us.

The Lord does not wait for us to be perfect before calling us to become his follower or to share in his work. He looks to us to have something of the qualities of Peter, the humility to acknowledge our need of the Lord and his forgiveness, and a generous heart and willing spirit.

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Think on these things!